Lake watch. Politics.

Ethical Question Enters Clerk's Race

Coroner's Office Number Listed On Literature

October 16, 1998|By Susan Kuczka, Tribune Staff Writer.

With all the heat on national, state and local politicians who engage in campaign-related activity from their taxpayer-funded offices, it seems a little odd that the office telephone number of a county official would be included on a news release issued this week by Lake County Clerk Willard Helander, the Republican incumbent.

In the news release, Lake County Coroner Barbara Richardson, who is chairing Helander's campaign along with Lake County State's Atty. Michael Waller, is quoted as saying she is "totally appalled" at campaign tactics being used by Democratic challenger Linda Hess, who served as clerk for 12 years before leaving in 1994 to pursue other interests.

But Hess, who has been attacking Helander's overall management style while comparing it with her own administration, says the Helander campaign ought to examine its own campaign strategies.

"It's definitely inappropriate for (Richardson) to be taking political phone calls at the courthouse," Hess said.

Home sweet home: Corinne Wood, the freshman state lawmaker from Lake Forest who is the GOP nominee for Illinois lieutenant governor, has visited all of Illinois' 102 counties during the campaign season.

But with Election Day less than three weeks way, Wood is scheduling several appearances in Lake County as well as the greater Chicagoland area for the homestretch.

On Friday, Wood will be in the area with New Jersey Gov. Christine Whitman.

Special guest: Illinois Atty. Gen. Jim Ryan is taking time away from his re-election campaign Friday to stump for Christopher Stride, the GOP nominee to succeed Wood in the 59th House District.

Stride's opponent is Democrat Susan Garrett, the former president of the Illinois League of Women Voters of Lake Bluff/Lake Forest, who is making the contest in the traditionally GOP-voting area into a horse race.

Sheriff Gary Del Re, who is being challenged by Democrat Marlene Runyard, also is scheduled to attend.

Back on the campaign trail: Former Lake County Board Chairman Robert W. Depke of Gurnee hasn't been on the campaign trail since he was unceremoniously dumped by voters two years ago.

But the Northeast Illinois Council No. 129 of the Boy Scouts of America believes Depke still has fundraising powers.

The local council is selling tickets at $75 a pop for an Oct. 27 event at which Depke will be presented with its "Scouting Vision Award."

The council is hoping the event will raise up to $40,000 for area youth programs.

Can't win 'em all: In the end, Lake County Board member Martha Marks' battle to block the reappointment of Esper Petersen to the Public Building Commission failed.

But the Riverwoods Republican says she's glad she aired questions about expenses the commission has racked up under Petersen's chairmanship.

"I just wanted to point out that it's too small a loop and everyone is scratching everyone else's back," Marks said.

Marks spent the last several months studying expenditures the commission has made during court battles over several shoddy construction projects overseen by the taxpayer-funded agency.

She was philosophical about Petersen's reappointment to a five-year term by what she called a lame-duck board. A new board will be sworn into office in December.